Military training officials accused of animal cruelty

The Animal Rescue Team Taiwan yesterday reported incidences of animal cruelty on the Taichung City's Chunghsing military training grounds, with locals claiming that military officials would give soldiers a day off per stray dog they catch.

In order to gain the holidays, local residents reportedly saw soldiers throwing ropes, stones and using smoke bombs to capture and torture dogs. Three dogs were reportedly caught within the past week, local media reported.

The military base has denied the accusations. However, the Animal Rescue Team has pushed the 10th Army Corps in charge of Central Taiwan to conduct a deeper probe into the claims, which clearly violate animal protection laws, and punish those found responsible.

Director Huang Kai-sen of the 10th Army Corps said he had already investigated the case and found no orders for stray dogs given in any brigade, making the locals' claims unverifiable.

The 10th Army Corps did admit that there had been a lot of stray dogs in the area before, but maintained that animal rescue teams were always called in to capture the strays and no soldier was ever sent after the dogs.